Just some bits and bobs

This calculator is designed to use the results (or the possible/predicted results) from your Open University modules at level 2 and 3 to calculate which classification of degree you might get.

It is fairly simple, and works on the basis that you have done (or will do) 240 points at those levels, as seems to generally be the case. Hence it can’t deal with transferred credit, etc.

In some cases modules are compulsory and it seems that the classification will always use these modules first and foremost. So if you have done extra modules (ie gained more than 120 points) at a certain level then please ensure the calculator is including the compulsory modules (even if they have a lower grade). Otherwise you may need to leave out the extra modules to get the correct calculation – the calculator has no way of knowing which modules were compulsory.

Please note that none of the details you enter are sent back to me or saved anywhere – all the calculations are done by the web page on your pc.

This calculator is based on the information in the OU’s explanatory PDF, which can be rather confusing. [update: I had previously linked to the OU's own "qualification planner", which has now been discontinued]. Using this calculator might also give you an insight into how you could improve your classification.

To calculate your degree classification, use the “Add Module” button below to add the modules you have done or intend to do, specifying their level, how many points each module is worth and the grade you received (or hope to get). n.b. On some degrees certain modules cannot be counted towards the degree classification. If this is true of your degree do not enter those modules.

Then click the “Calculate Degree Classification” button to see your classification calculated below. You can use the following worked example buttons to see pre-entered examples.

disclaimer: This is entirely unofficial. While I have done my best to ensure it works, it may well calculate your classification wrongly under some circumstances. No responsibility can be taken for any misunderstandings or inconvenience caused. Update (22/07/2012) : But since creating this well over a year ago, no-one’s complained that it got it wrong, so that’s hopefully reassuring. ;) Update (15/07/2015) : There are a couple of instances where people have got different grades to the predictions (see comments). I think they can be explained by complications like transferred credit and compulsory modules – read the instructions! – but otherwise the calculator should follow the guidance (pdf) provided. If it doesn’t please let me know where it went wrong, or provide your module details so I can have a look. Thanks.

Update regarding transferred in credit: There has previously been a suggestion – which I shared – that transferred credit was always treated as distinction grade. This turns out NOT to be the case. To be honest it was a bit optimistic. More information in the comments from July 2015.

vanessa says:

Thankyou for posting this calculator online, it is so hard to work out the eventual mark i will get. From your calculator i have realised that i am on the cusp between two grades so i will have to try extra hard to go for the higher one !!

Stephanie says:

Hi
Thank for this fantastic calculator. It makes it so much easier to work out a possible classification
One question though. I have just finished my degree with

Distinction A200 compulsory module
Grade 2 in A207, A326 and A327.
I have worked out a 2:1 classification but you have mentioned a possible different result based on a compulsory module and my A200 was compulsory in which I had a distinction at level 2. They are all 60 point module. Just wondered if it is possible to achieve a First which would be fantastic..

Kevin says:

Jan says:

Why has the OU not adopted this exemplary method of working out the degree classification instead of that mind-bending pdf offered as an ‘explanation’? None of us doing OU degrees is daft, but I would imagine most students give up well before getting to the end of it.

I have discovered that I am on track for a First (now I have managed to work it out using your calculator). Someone at the OUPS weekend in Warwick mentioned it existed. It was quite hard to find but very worth the hunt. Thank you so much for taking the trouble to develop this. Lobby the OU to feature it!

natalie says:

Thank you very much for taking the time to do this. Not only is it so much easier to use than the silly document the OU provide BUT it has also shown me on the day that I realised I wasn’t going to pass this course with the mark I wanted that, as long as I pull my socks up or even stay the same I’m going to be all right. THANK YOU

David says:

Thankyou for creating a really useful tool. In particular, I like the fact that your worked-examples illustrate (where appropriate) the partial disregard of full 60-point single courses – the ability to take only 30 points of a 60-point course that has already been passed, and interpolate into the “missing” 30 points the (hopefully) better grade from a 30-point course that might additionally (in the future perhaps, providing the present offer of degree is not accepted, very important!) be taken inorder to improve the class of degree, instead of always having to take yet another 60-point course inorder to do so! – depending on one’s personal requirements of course . Prior to finding your calculator, I had asked the OU this very question and had it confirmed that indeed this partial disregard is permissible and seemingly automatic – but nowhere in the OU literature itself could I find this explained or exemplified. So, many thanks again for your excellent piece of work.

admin says:

David, thanks for the comment. I’m glad you found the calculator useful, and I’m grateful for your information regarding the partial use of a course. It seemed only fair that this should be the case, but I agree that the literature is less than clear on this point, so I’m pleased to hear the advice you got from the OU seems to back up my assumption.

Louise says:

Hi….
This has considerably cheered me up after recently coming out of my OU exam and completely fearing the worst! If this calculator is correct even if I haven’t done quite as well as I had hoped I might, then there is still hope to make up ground on Level 3 courses!
Just to check, is this calculator correct for all OU degrees (I am doing the LLB Law) and also, if this calculator is correct then I am right in thinking that you can only ever come out with a First if you gain a Distinction at Level 3?
Many thanks to whoever created this page and took the time to produce the calculation table above! I, like most of those above cannot understand why the OU have not produced something the same themselves!

admin says:

I’m pleased this has been of some use. As far as I’m aware this calculator should work for most degrees, although I’m sure there are factors which will complicate matters such as added credit, and other factors I’m not aware of. This is why I put the disclaimer up and maybe it’s why the OU doesn’t have a similar tool on their site.

If anyone does find that it calculates something wrong please let me know by posting a (constructive) comment, and I’ll do my best to correct it the calculator.

Regarding getting a First – yes, my understanding is that you can only get a first by getting at least 60 points at distinction grade for the quality assurance test, which only applies to the level three modules.

Thank you for publishing this website. My other half has just received his final exam results after studying with the OU over a period of 12 years and I’m too excited to wait for his classification, so have just put in all his marks. Very pleased with the results! thank you the PDF from the OU is far too complicated.

Helen Nolan says:

Thank you so much for this very useful resource. You really should try to get the OU to use it, as their current “explanations” are as clear as mud. This is extremely easy. Thank you for taking the time to develop this and for making it available to all of us.

admin says:

To quote the OU Degree Classification Document, “We calculate the class of your bachelors honours degree using the results on all your graded OU or approved collaborative scheme modules at OU second level or higher – up to 240 credits.“.

So I’m not sure if level one modules ever have a grade, rather than pass/fail – I’ve only done one, which was pass/fail. But either way the results of level one modules can’t count directly towards your degree classification so they aren’t relevant to this calculator.

Of course we assume that you’ve done enough points (360) to get the degree in the first place!

admin says:

Aside from being a bit busy (with OU as well as other things!), I’m not even sure how transferred credit affects the degree class. Might it be the case that it’s considered a module credit of a certain value, and can be entered as dummy modules? Perhaps the calculator might be of indirect help by giving similar examples.

But if you find out, and can explain how the transferred credit does work by all means please let me know, and I can try thinking about adding a facility when I have the time.

admin says:

Thanks Sophie. That’s interesting to know, but I’d need to know how to calculate a degree classification from 180 credits (for example).

All the instructions and examples – mainly from the pdf document – seem to be based on having 120 level 3 points and 120 level 2 points. A total of at least 240.

If someone can explain this I could consider building it in, but again, no promises because my time is limited.

admin says:

July 22, 2012 at 12:40 pm (UTC 0)

I’ve just noticed that the OU pdf explains that if you have transferred in credit, it doesn’t count towards your classification, and OU course results are adjusted to be considered pro-rata. Maybe I’ll try and build this in at some point, but it makes my head hurt a bit thinking about it!

Joe says:

You’re brilliant. Thank you for setting up this calculator. I now realise that I’m sweating over a level two module that will have barely any (if, in fact, any) bearing on my overall degree class. I had an inkling that it didn’t couldn’t find any info like this on the OU website.

admin says:

…as the OU document states, “You need to satisfy both tests to qualify for the class of honours.”. So the QA section is to confirm your original classification. It can “drag” your grade down, but it can’t increase it – the first worked example shows this happening.

Ray says:

Thank you for writing this degree classification calculator. It has helped me understand the complicated OU explanation much better. However, I think there is a error in the calculator.

The OU explanation states the following, “We give your best 120 points from Level 3 courses twice their score. Then we add to that score the rest of your points above Level 1. This gives a total number of weighted grade points.”

As I understand the above OU explanation, this would mean that any other modules at level 3 are not multiplied by a factor of two. The calculator seems to multiply the scores of all modules at level 3 by a factor of 2.

Example: A student does 5, 30 point modules at level 3 and 3, 30 point modules at level 2.

The calculator multiplies the points for modules a-d (four courses adding up to 120 points) by two (because we got grade 2) and by two again (because they’re the best 120 points from Level 3 as you say). This makes 4 x (30 x 2 x 2) = 480.

If I understand the OU degree classification correctly, then in the above example, the module T320 at level 3, should be counted as a level 2 module. Otherwise one would effectively get penalised for completing more than 120 points at level 3.
Also, the 10 remaining points from M362 should also be counted at level 2.

So, the best level 3 points are counted at level 3, and rest of the level 3 and level 2 modules are counted at level 2.

Hope this makes sense. Thanks in advance for having another look.

admin says:

Thanks for posting your example. I’ve had a look, and sorry but I still can’t see the problem.

Firstly, I’d suggest it confuses matters to talk about “counting level 3 modules at level 2″. Back to the OU pdf, “We give the best 120 points from Level 3 courses twice their score”. All other points (up to a total of 240 points) are only counted once, regardless of level, but they do all get counted.

In fact, it would be better to get modules ignored and get fewer points, and to not get “double points”, since fewer weighted grade points means a better degree classification, but 240 points will be considered, and 120 of them will be doubled whether we like it or not, so better to get the doubled ones with a high module grade, otherwise they will drag the classification down. eg 30 (points) * 4 (grade) * 2 (doubling) = 240 weighted grade points for just one module – ouch!

The T320 points and the remaining M362 points aren’t being ignored? I wouldn’t want to say they are “counted at level 2″ because of the potential for confusion, but they are simply multiplied by the grade and added to the total in the same way as the points for level 2 courses are.

If you were to add another module – say another 30 point level 2 module with a grade 4 result – then it would be ignored, since it takes the point total over 240 and it’s the lowest grade, hence the least useful. In this case the calculator just puts “not required” in the weighted grade points column for that module.

claire says:

Cathy says:

Having worked out my class it appears some of my modules do not count towards the classification. I am doing a law degree and even some of these are not counted, so can I be sure this calculation is accurate? I have carried 120 points across from previous OU study and doing the compulsory level 2 and 3 modules. Is this a true calculation for a law degree?

Thanks

admin says:

Hi Cathy. I’m afraid the calculator comes “as is”, hence the disclaimer, and I think law degrees may be a bit non-standard. I got that impression from this blog post on Alan Fleming’s blog which you may find helpful.

As for your credit from previous study, I would assume it counts in a similar way to modules which were purely for this course, in which case they shouldn’t make things any more complicated?

Cathy says:

That’s really helpful, thank you!! Just a little disappointed that all my hard work (and ‘okaish’ results) for level 2 modules of which I am taking 120 points across will have no relevance of my final classification!

Sat here now wondering why I bothered to spend much time (wasted!) on these modules if they don’t count………………………….such a frustrating shame.

Cathy

Katharine Maddison says:

Hi Cathy, I would have thought to work you put into your level 2 modules would have had an impact on how you did on the level threes- assuming you did them in order? So, for example, my distinction on level two creative writing isn’t really relevant to my final score, but I doubt I would have got a distinction on the level 3 creative writing without it. Similar thing for my more academic modules, including the 120 credits for level one which didn’t really get a grade.

Ellie C says:

Thank you so much for this super useful tool, I wish I had discovered it earlier. I recommend everyone at the OU uses this as sometimes it feels like you’re ‘working in the dark’ not knowing what’s a possible target to aim for. Thanks!

Soraya says:

Neil Ruston says:

Thanks for the calculator – shame it can’t take into account credit transfers. I have 240 points transferred and so only grade 3 modules count towards my grade. I guess as long as I manage 2 x distinctions and 2 x grade 2, I’ll qualify for a First class honours degree? Would you agree?

admin says:

As I mention above, the PDF mentions that if you have transferred-in credit the grade “thresholds are reduced pro-rata”. And it has tables of example thresholds. Off the top of my head it seem fair that the grades you describe would qualify you for a First, but don’t quote me on that…

Dave says:

Just wondering if you know whether the OU has any discretion , in regard to the final degree grade it awards? i.e. if your score is just over the grade boundary , by few points do they have any discretion to give you a higher final grade ?

Thanks

admin says:

I’m sure I remember being told that within a module there is an option for grade boundaries to be adjusted. If say, one year there was a particularly difficult exam and the pass rate was lower than usual, but I don’t know about degree classifications.

Either way I suppose the OU would have to be able to explain the difference – since the module result wouldn’t match the predicted result from the assessment calculator, or the degree classification wouldn’t match that calculated by the method specified in the PDF.

Maybe someone else can help with this?

Woody says:

Dani says:

Just want to chime in and say that this tool is fantastic and thank the admin so much for pulling such a user-friendly means of calculating the classification together! Why the OU hasn’t adopted a similar tool yet beggars belief.

Samantha Morgans says:

Many thanks for this and congrats on your hard work. The module I have just completed did not have the calculator on the student home page, however last years module did have, so I just presumed that the OU have decided to get rid of it.

Anyway, my query is: how do we know exactly which module does not count towards the classification? My reasons for asking is that I have fiddled about with the grades and in doing so, a different module appears to be ‘not’ counted, that was for the previous grade I entered.

Many thanks
Sammi

admin says:

If more modules have been entered than are required for a given calculation then the calculator will use the best grades available. For some qualifications certain modules have to be used, but the calculator has no knowledge of this.

Does that answer your question?

Tim

Tom Fenton says:

Thank you so much, this is brilliant. The OU should have this on their site as opposed to the awful awful pdf document that means you require a master’s in maths and various other things in order to comprehend it! I’m into my last course and now what grade I need to accomplish in order to achieve the classification I need!

Kel says:

Paul says:

This is very good , many thanks, Can you state where in the OU information it deals with partial use of a module result to obtain the final result? The choice of the module for partial use can make a difference to the result.

Many Thanks

admin says:

Hi Paul. I’m afraid I don’t know of anywhere where this is explicitly described. If you look back through the comments you should find one from David where he states that someone from the OU said partial use applies.

user_friendly says:

Thanks very much! Don’t normally bother to comment on things on the internet but this was worth it! Especially as I’ve just realised that I don’t need a particularly nightmarish level 2 I’m struggling through. And especially since I realised my OCAS is already enough to pass that particular level 2 and I can now forget about it and concentrate on other courses!

Thanks again, you may have saved my degree. You’ve certainly made my day.

Rami says:

Thanks so much for posting this, its an absolute lifesaver! I had no idea where to start with the OU guidance, they really are crazy for thinking most people can fathom it! Anyway, your calculator makes life so much easier so thanks again!

Heather says:

admin says:

Heather, to quote from the OU’s explanatory PDF (linked to in the original post), “We calculate the class of your bachelors honours degree using the results on all your graded OU or approved collaborative scheme modules at OU second level or higher – up to 240 credits.”

Level 1 results aren’t included in the degree classification, you just need to pass them.

Kevin says:

Brilliant tool. I was so worried about needing at least grade 2 passes just to get the 2:2 my employer is looking for me achieving. I can rest easy knowing I just need grade 3 passes in my level 2 and 3 modules to get what I’m aiming for.

Hello!
Thanks for this simple way to work out degree classifications- I am just finishing my final 2 level 3 courses- One I am on the higher end of a 2:1 (75 points) and the other I average at about 70 points. I am wondering if I would only need one of these to be 70 points plus to get a upper class degree- as this is the only one which will be double weighted? I am worried about me EMA for the slightly lower graded course.
Thanks
SALLY

admin says:

Firstly, now they’re modules, not courses. Then, in the OU world, “points” refers to how long/intensive your module is – eg is it a 30 point module or a 60 point module. I think when you say points you’re talking about your course percentage based on your assignment scores? And then, what’s an “upper class degree” (something you get from Oxbridge? ;) ). Here I assume you mean a 2:1?

Sorry if this all sounds pedantic but it’s easy to get tied in knots if you aren’t precise.

Because you don’t say how many points your current modules count for (30 each?) or how you’ve done in your other modules it’s difficult to answer the question. In order to get a 2:1 you’d need get at least a grade 2 in at least 60 points worth of level three modules to pass the quality assurance element – maybe one 60 point module with a grade 2, or two 30 point modules both at grade 2. But that’s all you need at level 3.

So what I am asking is really….the fact that my second level 3 module is going to most likely be a grade 3, am I still able to get a 2:1? The calculator says I will get a 2:1 with the above scores, but Im confused (also happy) as to why I get a 2:1 and not a 2:2
Thanks :)

admin says:

So, as I mentioned, 60 points at grade 2 at level 3 could bag someone a 2:1, even if the other 60 level 3 points were “only” grade 4, but in that case some distinction level points at level 2 would be required to help out. If your points at level 3 are half grade 2 and half grade 3 then a grade 2 and a grade 3 at level 2 looks like it just scrapes you through a 2:1.

Again, just scraping through as a 2:1 according to the QA grade boundaries.

I guess it could be argued that grade 2 results equate to a 2:1, and grade 3 results equate to a 2:2, and since your predicted grades are exactly half and half, you (just) get the benefit of the doubt, although I don’t make the rules so that might be a misleading way of looking at it.

And as always the usual disclaimers apply to my sums and the calculator – no guarantees, but please feel free to check through it yourself.

The OU pdf refers to an “upper second class” honours degree, but not an “upper class” one?

admin says:

As I’m sure you appreciate the calculator doesn’t cater well for transferred credit. Also, I mentioned elsewhere that the PDF specifies that “OU course results are adjusted to be considered pro-rata”. Well perhaps that’s a little misleading since the current PDF document – have they updated it? – specifies that it’s actually the grade thresholds for the first part of the calculation which are pro-rata’d according to the table now included in that PDF ( link here ). But your manual alterations to satisfy the requirements of this calculator may not match that table, and they will also affect the quality assurance, which should be calculated using your actual grades. There will always be sufficient (120) points for the qa part because 240 is the maximum you can transfer.

This gives a total of 600 which falls between 420.1 and 600 on the credit transfer grade boundary table in the PDF (just!) resulting in an Upper Second Class (2.1) degree. Then the quality assurance points are:

Level 3 grade 2 x 30 = 60
Level 3 grade 2 x 30 = 60

This gives 120 which (according to the normal quality assurance tables) again just scrapes a 2.1 . As it happens this is the same result as your method of adjusting the points in this case, so that’s good.

Congratulations on finishing your degree and on a great result (although usual caveats, etc – I make no promises that I got this right!).

admin says:

Sorry, I’m not really with you. Only an honours degree (either a BA or a BSc) has a classification in this way. A “non-honours” degree – usually referred to as an “ordinary” degree and obtainable from the OU with 300 points rather than the 360 for honours – does not have a classification in the same way so this calculator would not be relevant.

helen says:

I’m still a little confused about the credit transfer and how this translates into an overall classification. If I received 240 points from a credit transfer and a Pass 2 for both my level 3 OU 60 point course, is this also an Oxbridge 2:1? Hope you can help :)

admin says:

According to my sums you should be pretty certain of a 2:1 with two good results like that.

Like John (above) you’ve transferred in the maximum so you have the minimum “Amount of OU credit available” as far as the weighted grade table at the end of the OU pdf is concerned. In your case you have:

Level 3 grade 2 x 60 (x2) = 240
Level 3 grade 2 x 60 (x2) = 240

So a total of 480, which, according to the last row of the table puts you well within the boundaries for a 2:1. Likewise you’re well within the QA limits.

Steve S says:

Hi Guys, just wanted to thank you for all your hard work in producing this. I started OU in 2010 with 3 opening modules (now discontinued).

As a studious student I earmarked all my modules of choice prior to all these ‘transitional arrangements’ shenigans. In the good old days, the OU used to have their own classification calculator. This was subsequently removed during the latest shake-up when they were foolish enough to ‘modernise’ our StudentHome Pages.

So, it was ‘goodbye degree planner’ (when you could punch in all your desired modules and hit a magic button to see what OU degree you could obtain) and ‘goodbye Classification Calculator’ (that determined your overall degree classification result).

I have no idea why they were stupid enough to remove two key elements to every students planning. At the end of the day, every student wants to know what modules make up what degrees and if they perform well enough what classification it will lead to.

It’s not good to get shot of such a calculator when prospective employers may ask what classification you are hoping to obtain – you couldn’t answer “I dunno as some idiot removed the calculator off the OU site and left me with some long-winded instructions how to work it all out”.

So you are a lifesaver and have given OU students new hope to excel in certain modules with the expectation of reaching a 2:1 or a 1st.

marie mcgeown says:

wish i’d known of this degree calculator earlier I have done two level 2 courses and gained 2 grade 4 passes. More disappointed now when i work out what i must get just to make it into a 2;2. If my calculation is correct I would need to achieve at the minimum a grade 2 and and Grade 3 pass at level 3. Are many other students in this position

Gained Grade 4 passes in two level 3 modules so working out my degree for a possible 2;2 means I would need to get a grade 2 and a grade 3 pass at level 3. Wish I’d come across this great calculator earlier, a lot of hard work lies ahead but I hope I’m not on my own.

caroline says:

admin says:

Two 60 point modules? This gives you 120 points of available OU credit. Multiply 120 by 2 (because you got a grade 2 for each) and then by 2 again because your best 120 points are double weighted).
120 x 2 x 2 = 480

Looking at the last row of the table on page 7 of the explanatory pdf, 480 is between 420.1 and 600, so as far as I can tell you get a 2.1

However, regardless of what grades I put in the for the grade 2s ie the lowest possible (70%) it’s coming up as a First class degree overall. I thought possibly it mattered your scores within each band, yet if I put in for example level 3 85%, level 3 70%, level 2 70% level 2 70% it’s telling me it’s a first. I didn’t think it was possible to get a first like this. Am I missing something?

So, the quality assurance is that at least 60 points at grade 3 must be at distinction level, right? Let’s say I meet that. Then points wise I think a first has to be 600 or under, right? It seems to come up as 600, above, no? But I thought it depended on the exact score. So don’t see how if someone can get the lowest grade 2s and just one distinction that his/her degree would be a first.

Any help? Cheers :)

admin says:

Hi. I have to be honest and say I’m not sure what you’re talking about.

The calculator asks for four pieces of info for each module:
Module Title: only for your own reference.
Level: Levels 1, 2 and 3 roughly equate to the years of study for a full time degree.
Points: Numeric value indicating how many points of study the module counts for.
Grade: 1 (distinction), 2, 3 or 4.

At no point is any kind of percentage required or used. Why do you keep referring to percentages? Where are you getting them from? After you get (or calculate) your module grade, the percentages you got throughout your module for TMAs etc are no longer at all relevant (which is why the calculator doesn’t require them). Only the final module grades matter. Does that answer your question?

What do you mean by band? There are no bands.

Also your post confuses grades and levels – “…what grades I put in the for the grade 2s… (sic)”, “…at least 60 points at grade 3 must be at distinction level” – No, 60 points at LEVEL 3 must be at distinction grade [to get a first].

I’m happy to try and help, but as I’ve said before, this is potentially confusing, so it’s important to get the terminology right.

Kevin says:

Sorry for any confusion writing “grade” instead of “level” etc. I just thought if you got a high score, let’s say getting very close to a distinction, eg 82% as opposed to only getting 71% it made a difference in how things were calculated and your chances of getting a better degree classification. Of course, I was wrong :)

Anyway, I have received my classification from the OU and happy to say it’s a first.

After several sleepless nights and many tears in preparation for my upcoming exam, finding this has given me the first good night’s sleep I’ve had in ages! Thank you so much, this is an awesome tool! You are a marvel!

Elaine says:

After a truly disastrous exam yesterday I have been in utter despair. Using your calculator has indicated to me that (thanks to my other disastrous exam last year) even if I get the most rubbish pass, it hasn’t yet changed the class of degree I was already heading for.

Thanks :)

Terence Simmons says:

Jan Hendon says:

Thought I’d said thank you before Tim, but can’t find the thread, so another (very big) thank you. Your site has been a life saver in calculating which modules to study and the grades I need… (verging on ‘OCD’ ;-)) Has become one of my favorite procrastination tools :-), second only to Surf Teddy :-D – FB groups are of course top of the list… ;-)

Richard says:

I’m just wanting to add my thanks and amazed the OU website does not carry a tool like this to help students see how well their study is going in earning a degree qualification.

I had a very dodgy Level 3 exam in October and just got the result! 71% so managed a Grade 2 pass! Woo hoo! Punched this in to your calculator and it looks like even if I scrape a grade 4 pass on my final Level 2 module I will still get a 2:1 degree! Brilliant news!

I’ll still try for a better result but it really does take the pressure off.

To everyone out there working, looking after families and fitting in OU study just keep at it! There will be light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully a lovely graduation ceremony to celebrate with friends and family.

Dougie says:

Want to echo all the other comments. I too found the OU’s explanation of how degree’s are worked out beyond my level of intelligence. Through your calculator I have now been able to work out that as long as I don’t totally muck up my final module I have a realistic chance of a 2.1 and (if I do really well) an outside chance of a 1st.

I hope u have a patent the calculator so you can licence it to the OU for them to use instead of their confaluted explanation.

Fatima says:

hi everyone, this calculator has helped me a lot in giving me direction that i have to work really hard in my last two level three modules to get a first class degree..thanks a lot to the one who made this calculator!

Karl says:

Hello, i really am sorry for bothering you with a question you have probably already answered. But i am horrible at working this out, i have transferred 240 credits from previous study and studied 2 60 credit modules at level 3 for which i recieved a grade 2 pass and a grade for, i am struggling to find out what classification this would leave me with?

Karl

admin says:

It appears from your description that you have only 120 points available for the calculation (since the rest of your points are covered by our transferred credit). However I assume a typo in your question leaves me unclear as to what your actual second grade was – “for which i recieved a grade 2 pass and a grade for”.

The grade boundaries for you are provided in the bottom row of the table at the bottom of the OU pdf.

I would suggest you could enter your modules in the calculator above, and then enter a fake module – level 2, grade 4, 120 points – so the calculator will accept your entry. This way you can see the weighted grade points for your *real* modules (and ignore the displayed total which will include the fake module). Use your weighted grade point total with the table in the pdf, and work out your initial classification. Then the Quality Assurance calculation on this calculator should be correct (because it will ignore the level 2 module).

Helena says:

I just want to say that your calculator is not always correct. I have used it as a guidance to improve my degree classification. According to the calculator, one module at level 3 with 30 credits, with pass 3 should have helped me to improve my classification. However, when I called OU qualification department, they told me that this was incorrect and I would need to do 60 credits at level 3 with Pass 2.

admin says:

Sorry to hear you’ve found the OU phone advice has conflicted with this calculator. Of course without knowing which modules you’ve done at which levels and what your grades were I have no idea why this might be or who is right.

The calculator is based on the calculations from the OU’s own explanatory pdf, and in two years you’re the first person to suggest the calculator isn’t always correct, although you don’t provide example grades to back this up.

So if you could provide more details, I’d be very interested in looking into the discrepancy. And of course if it turns out the calculator does get it wrong under certain conditions this would allow me to correct it.

Thanks.

Helena says:

B203 level 2 60 credits Grade 4
B201 level 2 60 credits grade 4
DU301 level 3 60 credits Grade 3
B301 level 3 60 credits Grade 3
which is third class honours, this was also correct using the calculator
I wanted to see whether I could improve my qualification by adding B324 which is level 3 30 credits. I have input grade 2 as hypothetical result , and your calculator stated lower second degree. Then I repeated the same process using the same module but input grade 3 as a result and it still said lower second degree. However when I rang the OU before I registered for the B324, the lady on the phone told me that 30 credits at level 3 would not be sufficient. However I would be greatful, if you could have a look. whether this is correct or not. Maybe the person on the phone calculated it wrong.

So, I need 30 pts at level 3 to get the Hons degree. What grade would I need to get the 2:1 I’m after? Given my bad result for B628, would I be better to do a 60 pt course next & offset other results? If so, what grade would I need to get in order to gain the 2:1? Any help or advice would be very gratefully received. Thank you.

Chris says:

I have done well so far, but until this evening, I thought I only required three grade 2′s and 1 distinction at level 3, to bag a first.
I have 60 credits at distinction but that’s for M208: a level 2 course. All my other courses are grade 2′s. The OU website has a paragraph that hints something about needing to equal or better your previous quality assurance classification: but it is very unclear, so I looked for a site like this to confirm my suspicions.

It’s quite gutting to know that after doing so well on all my courses since 2010, I now realise that unless 2 out of 4 of my level 3 thirty credit modules are distinction: even with less than 600 weighted grade points, my initial classification of a first: drops to a 2:1. Also if I don’t get a minimum of two grades 2′s of the four 30 credir level 3 modules, it drops down to a lower second.

It makes me wonder why I have put all the effort in sonce 2010, when all I had to do was get a bunch of grade 3′s and 4′s at level 1 and 2 and spend most of my time practising papers on level 3 courses. It seems to be mostly true that at level 3, 60 credits at grade 2 bags you a 2:1 and you can’t get a first without 60 credits at distinction at level three. Am I correct? Oh well, if so: onward and forward! Thanks anyway and the very best to all.

Galya says:

I am doing a law degree LLB which you stated already has a non- standard classification. I’ve read the link to Alan Fleming’s blog and the OU website to try a worked example:

So at level two: if you get two distinctions that would give you 120 points.

And at level three: if you get two grade 2′s that would give you 480 points.

So 120 + 480 = 600. So as it is < 630 that would give a First Class Degree.

Both sites mentioned above do NOT mention Quality Assurance Points. So if one does very well in the level 2 modules and gets a grade 2 in level three modules, that means coming out with a first class LLB. Is my calculation correct according to you?

Wendy says:

Thanks for putting this up, I had brain ache trying to work it out. Up until now I was hoping to have clawed a first class degree, but sadly coming in at a 2:1. I’m going to reconcile myself to that and give myself a pat on the back as it’s not been easy.

Sad thing is that my quality assurance mark comes out as a first. Oh well.

viki says:

Kelly says:

Thank you for sharing this excellent tool. I have it bookmarked. Could not for the life of me understand the OU’s worked examples or explanations. This is so simple to use. Fantastic – you are a wonderful.

Jhoque says:

This is absolutely brilliant! So handy and motivating! But i just wanted to ask, how reliable is this? I mean is there a high chance, low chance or 50/50 chance of getting what the calculator has predicted?

admin says:

@Jhoque, as far as I’m aware this should calculate the degree classification correctly every time, assuming the module results are entered correctly, the degree is a straightforward one and there have been no non-standard corrections.

The calculation is hopefully transparent so students can compare it to their own workings.

Indeed, if anyone gets a different result to the result calculated here and they don’t have any kind of reason for the discrepancy, then I’d like to hear about it.

admin says:

Thanks for the feedback and for listing your modules and results clearly.

Having entered the results I get the same as you, so I’m a bit confused and if I were you I’d be taking it up with the course admins.

Odd as it may seem it’s entirely possible to scrape a first with only one distinction result. In your case you’d have good enough results even without the inclusion of E301. So the only reason I could see for you failing to get a distinction is if one of the modules you’ve listed is not eligible to be counted towards your chosen degree; the explanatory PDF states “Each degree has a rule that specifies the modules that can be counted in classification” so any modules that can’t be counted should be left off when entering your results into the calculator.

I hope you’ll return to let us know if that’s the case, or how it works out for you. Perhaps if you could share which degree you’ve been working towards we could have a look? Either way, well done on some good results!

Kitty says:

Thanks admin – the degree that I was working towards is BA (Hons) English Language and Literature – on closer inspection I think I can explain the result.

My level one module and the two level 2 modules were all compulsory.

Thereafter I was required to have 60 credits from a list of Literature modules at Level 3 and 60 credits from a list of Language modules also at level 3. These were AA316 (a literature module) and E301 (a language module). After that I had a free choice of any 60 point module. I chose A300 from the list of literature modules as my ‘free choice’.

E301 must therefore go towards the classification of my degree ahead of A300, as I understand it, as it was a compulsory module.

Really by undertaking A300 at level 3 it I was taking the difficult road as I could have done a less difficult course for 60 points to make up my 360 but I was a glutton for punishment!

admin says:

As for checking the result, you can work through the process yourself following the instructions on the PDF linked at the top – hopefully the calculator should give an insight into this since it works using the same logic. Alternatively, you could try and get someone at the OU to work it out from your module results for you, although I don’t know who, or whether they’ll be happy to do it.

Ali says:

By using your calculator, it has made me realise that even if i do not complete the EMA i am working on to the standard i would like (4 days to go, still haven’t really started!), it is not the end of my journey to gain a first degree!

louise says:

HI for those that have credit transfers, if you put the transfer amounts in as distinctions eg i have 240 credit transfer so put 120 credits level 2 as distinctions in calculator and it works it out fine….the results all match what i’ve just been working out for an hour and combos…grrr….wish i’d found this tool earlier….lol

admin says:

Let’s assume it was a 60 point module (as is relatively common). And then let’s imagine you got a distinction for a further 60 point module (best case scenario). Then your weighted grade points would be calculated as follows:

points * grade * 2_for_weighting

60 * 1 * 2 = 120
60 * 4 * 2 = 480
Total = 600

According to the table at the end of the explanatory pdf, since you have only 120 points of OU credit available for the calculation you use the last row of the table and 600 points could scrape you a 2:1. But only just, so you would need to ace the rest of level 3. This would also pass the QA test.

Alternatively you can use Louise’s suggestion (a few comments up) and just put in 120 points of level 2 study with grade distinction to use the calculator. This seems to work. The OU seem to (generously) assume all your transferred in credit was of the highest possible standard.

admin says:

Firstly, to clear a couple of things up.
Yes, we are talking about the same thing with points/credits. In my defence they definitely used to be points (see here) but no matter, I think credits is probably a better term going forward for clarity.

Secondly, I appear to have messed up the link to the explanatory pdf in my previous comment.

But yes, I think your conclusion is correct. The “proper” way to do it would be to just calculate the weighted grade points for your level 3 study and use the bottom row of the PDF table. Obviously it’s good that only 30 credits are at grade 4 rather than the 60 I had presumed, since it means you don’t need to ace the other modules.

And again, according the bottom row of the PDF table, that scrapes a 2:1. If you get 30 points at a higher grade, great, and other combinations will obviously mean other results but Louise’s workaround should deal with any options you want to check.

I wish you luck, but remember that if you don’t get a 2:1 it isn’t the worst thing in the world either. Circumstances can happen to all of us and despite being painfully close to a 2:1 myself I’m perfectly proud of my 2:2. :)

Vanessa Gilbert says:

Haven’t read all the info but this calculator seems to work for Open degrees. In my case, BA(Hons) in Modern Languages it calculated 600 points (so a First according to Clevernet) when in fact, OU calculated 660 points.

Vanessa

admin says:

Hi Vanessa. Thanks for commenting but I’m a little confused. You say the calculator works but then suggest the points don’t match? If you were willing to post how many modules you did (including what level, how many points and the grade you got for each) I’d be interested to take a look. Which modules they were doesn’t really matter, as long as they’re all eligible to contribute towards your classification.

Gordon Stewardson says:

I have to say well done for creating this calculator. After I got a grade 2 pass for B301 I was able to work out that I needed another grade 2 or better to get a 2:1 (a first wasnt possible). So I went all out and got what I needed for my 2:1 last november. Knowing what I needed really helped me to focus!

anne Marie says:

Do you have any knowledge of the OU forcing someone to complete a level one module after having 360 credits and everything needed for their named degree? (I was never told I needed to do it when I transferred credits in)

V. Riley says:

Hi Anne Marie, I’m on the B07 version and am having to complete this year in order to use some points from my other degree as L1 points. If I deferred my course I would be required to do compulsary L1 courses as they are required for the Q07 degree. B07 finishes this year.

Zainab says:

Your calculator gives me a lot of hope in getting a 2:1 but when I emailed the ou they said that I can’t use my 30 credit at level 2 as partial credits as I can’t split a 60 credit e.g use 30 credit of it and leave the other 30 as a reminder. I have done two 60 credits at level 2 and am doing a social science degree specialised in psychology , they said I can only choose to do another 60 credit which will be at a higher fee and cancel one of the existing 60 credits , is that true ? I really need you help .

Alepou says:

Brilliant! this was so simple to use,far easier than the baffling system on the OU website! Well thought out and sensible. I have been predicted a lower second, was hoping for an upper-will have to pull my socks up for this last essay and exam!!

Matt W says:

Hi, really useful calculator. I hadn’t factored in the quality assurance test, so this has been helpful in grounding my expectations of a first, but then its also boosted my confidence of a 2:1 so trying to see the positives!
Thanks again, Matt

Keri says:

Tony F says:

This is a brilliant facility, and I really appreciate the effort you have taken to get this up and running. It will benefit a lot of OU students! Really, of course, the OU should be providing something like this: Students need to be able to work out what they need to do to get a good degree – and your facility does just that. Thanks.

Fraser says:

Olivia says:

I have been making some enquiries into possible open honours degree classifications with credit. I have used this tool, the OU document ‘Working out your Class of Honours’ and have been in contact with the OU qualifications department. I am not sure that Louise’s suggestion is correct. I have 240 credits from outside the OU.

Using your tool I come out with a 2:1 or a 1st overall as long as I pass my final level 3 module. However if I use the OU document I come out with 2:2 if I get a level 4 on the final module.

Perhaps you could take a look into it?
I have completed DD309 and got a level 2. My final module is KE312.
DD309 – 60 credits – 2 (x2) = 240 weighted grade credits

Samantha says:

Sue says:

Hope you don’t mind me emailing. I have just finished my Open University degree in psychology. Your calculator states that I should get a 2:1 or a 2:2 but they have given me a third. This impacts on future plans. Can you help me understand your calculation as it might help me fight with the OU?

The psychology degree I did requires some compulsory modules. I have marked these with an asterix. These are below with my pass and the level.

admin says:

Just to echo Arnold and Hannah. I’m not sure how you got a “2:1 or a 2:2″ but I get a 2:2 when entering all your module results as you list them. But notice that the calculator chooses the E313 over the DD303 because the grade was better – but the DD303 was a compulsory module as you say, so I assume the points from that have to count towards the classification. In essence, since E313 wasn’t specified as a Level 3 requirement it’s only there to make up points. If I don’t enter the E313 module then I get the 1200 points (a third) as Hannah calculates.

Also, I don’t think your transferred credit is relevant to the classification in this case. The pdf only gives guidance on transferred credit for students who have less than 240 OU credits (at levels 2 and 3), and you have plenty more than that. This may mean in some cases that it’s better to do fewer OU modules and use points from (approved) transferred credit rather than lower grades from OU modules, although I notice most of your modules were compulsory.

Sorry if the predictions you got were misleading. I’ve now updated the instructions to mention compulsory modules.

I’m in the midst of doing the psych degree myself. The regulations on it are quite strict due to the BPS. I think (not 100% sure) that only the modules specified in the qualification would count. If you have had approval from the qualifications director you can sometimes use a non standard set but without that I don’t think E313 would be counted as L3 but rather as one of the optional modules (ie as L1 in effect) and your transferred in credit may be in the same boat ie neither would count in the calculation and you could only count DSE212, ED209, DD303 and DD307 (DXR222 wouldn’t count as it has the lowest mark and takes you over 120 points at L2).

Sheena says:

I’ve just completed a Modern Languages Studies (Hons) degree, and unfortunately have to report that your website did not predict the correct classification for me. It had forecast a First, but although I achieved all the grades I entered in your calculator, I only came out with an Upper Second. I realize that you have a disclaimer about accuracy, but do hope you will give this message some prominence because the disappointment I’ve felt has been really profound and has taken the joy out of completing my degree.

admin says:

Hello Sheena. I’m really sorry to hear about the mismatch and your resulting disappointment. Is there any chance you could post your module results?

– Do your results include transferred-in credit (which can complicate matters as we’ve often seen)?

– Has the calculator excluded compulsory modules (if there are compulsory modules and you’ve done more modules than necessary you need to exclude some of the extras to ensure the compulsory ones are included in the calculation – the calculator doesn’t know about compulsory modules and will exclude them if they have lower grades).

If neither of the two factors above explains the issue, then the calculator should follow the instructions on the PDF, and either it’s failed to do so correctly, or the OU have got it wrong. So it would be worthwhile following the (somewhat confusing) instructions on the OU PDF, to see what that gives you. If it’s different to the calculator I would be interested in knowing why, and if it’s the same then my feeling is that you would have a good reason to contact the OU and appeal.

Alison says:

In the Modern Languages degree (B30) there are compulsory modules, as the administrator suggested. So one of your module results will be discounted in the final classification. I am doing this degree in french and English, and the only modules which can be counted towards the class are both level 2 and level 3 French, and both level 2 and a level 3 english. You might get a great result for your optional module (which is a level 2 or 3 module) but unfortunately it won’t count to the final classification. The module description does make this clear, though I’m guessing a few people might not be aware of it.

admin says:

Looking at it in more detail, the grade boundaries given on the transferred credit table are based on different “equivalent transferred credit ratings” (my term) depending on which grade boundary it is. So the grade boundaries for First, 2:1 would assume a high grade for the transferred credit, and the grade boundaries for a third would work based on an assumed lower grade for transferred credit (regardless of how much credit is transferred). This kind of makes sense.

And yes, I know there’s no such thing as a Grade 1.75, but I just mean you’d need to multiply the transferred credit value by 1.75 to get the weighted grade points which equate to that boundary. You’d never “give them twice their score” (double them) because transferred credit never counts at level 3.

I hope this isn’t too confusing to read because it makes my head hurt thinking about it!

Hannah says:

Lisa says:

Hi, just having a read through this now as I used credit transfer towards my degree. This gave me 60 credits at level 2 and I have passed my compulsory level 2 60 credit at distinction. Just trying to see exactly how hard I need to work at level 3 to come out with an overall 2:1 (which I am assuming is an upper second?) Are you saying in you explanation that the waiting of my 60 units of credit transfer is dependant on my other scores? This is hurting my head almost as much as my level 3 coursework!!!

And yes, you’re correct in saying that the value of your credit transfer depends on your grades from your OU modules. If you get good grades for your OU modules then your result will be the equivalent of you also getting a good grade for the transferred credit, and the converse is also true.

Of course, if you have transferred credit it’s still possible to plug in predicted grades for your final modules and work out a predicted degree classification, but this calculator doesn’t cater for it so it’s a manual job I’m afraid. I could update the calculator to take transferred credit into account, but I would need to enter all the values from table 3 on the PDF, and update the code, and unfortunately I don’t have time at present.

admin says:

It looks like a fairly straight-forward one to me, but again, this is not an official calculator so disclaimers apply. In several years there have only been maybe two people who have quibbled with the result and I think we worked out what the issues were (compulsory modules or transferred-in credit).

Feel free to work through the instructions in the explanatory PDF (linked at the top of the page) if you want to double-check. Hopefully this calculator can help explain the working if needs be.

admin says:

By all means post them in a comment and I (or anyone else with time and the inclination) can have a look. Did you try calculating your grade manually using the PDF instructions? And remember to look out for complications due to transferred credit or compulsory modules. In the latter case ensure compulsory modules are included by leaving out extra unneeded modules with higher grades.

admin says:

No. You need to enter 120 points at level 2 and 120 points at level 3 to get a degree classification. Your Level 1 points are irrelevant.

If you haven’t done that many modules yet you can enter guesses at what you might get for your remaining modules to see what kind of outcomes might result, but this calculator can’t predict the future.

Would you recommend pushing harder to get a Grade 2 pass in my current 60 credit level 3, to make sure I definitely get a 2:1 overall grade? Or would an easy Grade 3 pass for that course suffice? I’m struggling with time and sanity, and losing interest now. Especially with U316!!
Thanks

Diana says:

Julie Ball says:

I have one level 3 at Grade 2 and 1 level 3 at Grade 3 both 60 points. I’m studying a level 1 60 points, a level 1 pass and 180 points of transeferred credit. I’m just wondering whether working really hard this year will make any difference to my overall outcome. I’m not sure if you can help me, but any thoughts will be gratefully appreciated.

admin says:

Julie, it’s the transferred credit which makes it hard to test scenarios using this calculator, since I haven’t done the work to add in all the (many) transferred credit possibilities. As discussed previously the transferred credit values in the table in the PDF indicate that transferred credit is rated at roughly the same value as your OU module grades, if that helps.

Des Adkinson says:

I need to include M253 (10 credits) to make up the minimum Level 2 points required by the calculator, but this is a Pass/Fail module. I think this one is excluded from the degree calculation, which then works off a pro-rata of a reduced total.

admin says:

For each module you multiply your points by grade, and then multiply that by 2 (because you double your points at “third level”) which is all of yours.
60 x 3 x 2 = 360
60 x 2 x 2 = 240

This gives a total “weighted grade credit” of 360 + 240 = 600

You use the bottom row of the table at the end of the OU PDF because you only have 120 points worth of OU credit available to do the calculation, and there, a credit of 600 means you just scraped a 2:1, which sounds about right to me.

Tom says:

admin says:

Tom, the third sentence on this web page (explaining how the calculator works says

…it can’t deal with transferred credit…

.

That said, your 120 credits transferred from previous study will probably only cover your Level 1 study, which doesn’t count towards your degree classification anyway, so you can use this calculator with all your level 2 and 3 results, and it shoudl work.

Spela Raposa says:

Tanya says:

Thank you so much for this. I had so badly misunderstood the OU guidance that I thought I could only just make a lower second class but I now think I can make an upper second class if I get a Grade 2 pass in my final module. I will now work harder!

admin says:

Hi. Sorry I haven’t got time to go through your calculation in detail, but after a cursory once-over I can’t fault your maths.

As for which points the OU will use, I couldn’t say in this situation. I know when I did my degree, I could choose whether or not to include modules in the qualification, swapping them around quite late on. But I didn’t have any transferred credit.

Tim

Ian Hamilton says:

Jack says:

I’m just about to complete my degree and this calculator tells me that whether I get a level 1, 2 or 3 pass for my current module I’m on for a 2:1. It’s allowed me to look back at the OU PDF and I think I’ve managed to work it out as the same so fingers crossed. I’m aiming for a level 2 now as there’s no point in knocking myself out for a level 1 but a level 3 is sailing too close to the wind for comfort.

Thanks for the time you put in to this.

Hannah says:

I’m currently studying English lit/Lang degree. To receive the qualification I have to complete 360 credits to gain it but according to the calculator my result will only be calculated from 240 credits?

I’m pretty sure one module I have done worth 60 credits is just a pass/fail type thing so that won’t be included, but that still leaves me with a spare 60 credits??

admin says:

The standard OU degree is 120 credits at level 1, 120 credits at level 2 and 120 credits at level 3, which roughly translates to Year 1, 2 and 3 study at a non-distance-learning Uni. In my experience Level 1 modules often tend to result in a pass/fail, and the credits aren’t included in your degree classification.

Of course if you wish to do more than those 360 points, or do some at a higher level than required, that’s usually acceptable as long as you meet the requirements for the qualification. In this case the best calculated qualification will come from the modules where you got the best grades as you would expect. This calculator automatically selects better grades and ignores lower ones if you enter more credits than required, so in your case the level 2 grade 4 course will be ignored.

I hope this answers your question.

Tim

Leanne says:

For Hannah- I’m doing the same degree :-) There are compulsory modules to be included in your classification so you should enter into the calculator both level 2 grades, followed by a level 3 language module grade and a level 3 literature module grade (the highest achieved) the other 60 credits at level 3 forms the honours part of your degree and does not affect your overall classification. Hope this helps you work it out!

Nene says:

Centurion says:

Thanks for this great tool.
How about giving default values i.e two 30 credit and one 60 credit for level two and same for level 3 with Levels also pre selected and then user’s can choose to change if needs be.

Graham says:

I only have 180 credits worth of modules available to input into the calculator as half of my degree (180 points) was credit transfer, how can I calculate the final grade using this tool as it keeps telling me I need at least 240 points?

I am doing the BA/BSc (Honours) Open degree on the QD Standard pathway.

I got a very disappointing and unexpected EMA result in one level 2 module that dragged down the entire module by a grade. Having got Grade 3 for both Level 2 modules, I thought I could only ever achieve a 2:2. That was my interpretation from the .PDF and from comments from other Open Degree students.

I went through every permutation of Level 3 result I could get using your calculator and I now see if I get a Distinction in both I would get a First, otherwise I need a Distinction and a Grade 3, or two Grade Twos to get a 2:1 which is my goal (because my wife has a 2:1).

Dear Tim,
Thank you for this calculator. I began using it a couple of years ago. I had to stop my studies because of illness, but was able to track potential outcomes. Your calculator predicted a 2:1, and this was confirmed last week by the OU.

Beth says:

The quality assurance measure only looks at 60-credit Level 3 modules. In your example you have a grade 2 in a 30-credit Level 3 so it won’t be used – the result from your final 60-credit L3 module will be used instead.

Emma says:

Hello. I am transferring 240 credits to an open degree, so for me, 4 x level 3 30-credit modules will count towards my degree. Please can you tell me what grades I need for different degree classifications? Thank you

Deb says:

This is brilliant. I have been trying to work out if I can still achieve a 1st class or 2:1 having just received a grade 4 pass at level 2. If I get grade2 in next 2 modules its 2:1 if I can get one distinction then its first class. Its going to be a tough year with lots of hard work but this has at least given me the determination to carry onand not be beaten. Thank you!

A really good site idea.i think you should pass it on to ou and it should go on their site.I didn’t find the document they published too hard to understand when read properly but this makes the calculating much quicker and gave me confidence in how id self calculated it!

Glynn says:

Finished my OU degree back in July but just wanted to say a big thanks for creating this. It came in useful over the past 4 years for periodically re-assessing targets while juggling other commitments.

LEE says:

How accurate is this? i know it cant be perfect but I am really stressing as i am closing in on my last year and was quite certain i cant attain the final classification i wanted but the calculator suggests i can but i dont want to get too excited.

gary says:

Chris says:

As far as I understand (being almost at the end of my final year) your first year modules are simply pass/fail and do not count towards your final classification – this is done purely on the scores you achieve for level 2 and 3 modules. Hopefully this explains why the calculator only allows entry of these levels of modules.

Beth says:

Excellent calculator – thanks very much. It confirms what I thought from the OU pdf, so fingers crossed the OU examiners agree!

Incidentally – note to all people: READ THE INSTRUCTIONS AT THE TOP!!!

1. LEVEL 1 MODULES DON’T COUNT – you just have to pass them, a Distinction will give you the warm fuzzies but won’t make a scrap of difference to your overall classification.

2. TRANSFERRED CREDIT’S WEIRD – best to contact the OU direct for this.

3. LEVEL 1 MODULES DON’T COUNT – in case you didn’t see it the first time.

4. QUALITY ASSURANCE ONLY WORKS ON YOUR BEST 60 CREDITS – it’s lovely that you pulled a Grade 1 out of the hat for that 30-credit module, but it won’t be enough for the quality assurance stage of the calculation. The other 30 credits have to be as good as that too.

5. CHECK YOUR COMPULSORY MODULES – no point getting lots of Grade 1s if you’re scoring Grade 4s in your compulsory modules, the OU will go by these first.

5. LEVEL 1 MODULES STILL DON’T COUNT!!!!!!

And remember – even if you don’t get what you want/think you deserve, not many people have the guts, willpower and strength of mind to study long-distance. It’s hard and you’ve done amazingly well just to get up off your backside and open those books after working a full shift/colicky babies keeping you up all night/caring for elderly, poorly parents/being so hungover you thought you were going to die/generally coping with all the **** life can throw at you.

Tim, you’re a star.

Jenni says:

I’m not sure this is 100% accurate. According to this tool, it states that I would get a 2:1 with a grade 2 pass in my final module, but according to the OU’s calculations, I’d need a distinction in my final module to achieve that…

Tracy says:

What a great tool, thank you! I have used this calculator over the last few years to monitor my progress and as I am nearing the end of my studies I have also worked it out manually using the OU’s pdf as I felt it was the best way to be sure, I get the same result from both methods.

I also want to award you a ‘virtual’ medal for continuing to answer the same questions regarding credit transfers and compulsory modules for the last 5 years, you must have the patience of a saint!!

Jude says:

Level 1 modules don’t count towards the classification so don’t need to be entered.
You need to input all level 2 and level 3 results (make them up for the modules you haven’t yet completed) to get an idea of what you should be aiming to get.

[...] have just found this and though it worth a men­tion and link: Cleveret’s Open Uni­ver­sity Degree Class Cal­cu­lator. It seems to do all the hard work cor­rectly, includ­ing cal­cu­lat­ing the qual­ity [...]